Infinite Scrolling is a web design technique whereby users scroll down a web page, and content automatically and continuously loads from the following pages.
One can use Infinite Scrolling instead of pagination so that users aren’t required to click on “previous” or “next” buttons or page numbers to see the content. As such, Infinite Scrolling aims to make it easier for users to browse pages by simply scrolling down.
The technique also enables web apps to handle user requests and provide data without refresh. The trend is prevalent on social sites such as Facebook, Instagram where content loads endlessly.
Infinite Scrolling: Pros and Cons
Website visitors are happy to scroll down endless pages if the information units are of equal detail and highly related. For example, if one is searching for a gift within a specific category. Hence, the technique’s popularity on e-commerce sites where the “see all” choice option shows all products at once.
However, the technique might not be beneficial if visitors want to locate specific types of content or compare options. They expect pages to be layered and grouped by relevance on separate pages. For example, if there is no other navigation option and only endless content, users may find it impossible to locate and isolate a product by feature.
Another minus is the inefficiency of trying to an item previously found on an extremely long page. In other words, people remember what page an item is on rather than trying to guess its location while scrolling through a long page.There are pros and cons to using Infinite Scrolling, including the way it affects UX.
